Cooking Notes Binder - Do you Have One?

[MadMedik]

Cooking Notes Binder:

Do you ever forget how you did that last cook?  Do you remember the cook from 3 months ago?  Did you cook on the main grill, or the 'upper grill' ?   Did you use the Heat Deflector or not?  Did you add smoke wood and what flavor was it?   What was the temperature of your grill and what was your end point "done temperature" ?

It may be a simple concept, but write it all down.  Make a binder or book and write down every cook you do.   Record and date all the 'stuff' I mentioned above and everything else you did.  It will be so helpful in the future.

For the Veteran KK'ers, you may have all this in your mind.    For all the new "KK'ers' write it down.

there is so much you can cook on the KK and of course so many ways to do each cook.  Write it down, date it, and make your notes.  What "should I have done on a cook  and what I will do different on the next cook" perhaps....

Critique your cook...write down...it was terrible never do again...or  it was  great (all KK cooks are great) and  replicate it next time.    Cook longer next time.   Or,  it was dry,  don't cook so long next time....

Today, I wanted to do brisket.  I last did a brisket cook on September 9, 2012....according to my Cooking Notes....and I read them, saw everything I did, noticed I had Bookmarked a brisket site...which I shared earlier today on forum....and I am confident and ready to do again.

Make a folder....it will help a lot!!

 

Have a great day.

MadMedik

[bosco]

I use the paprika app on my iPhone for all of my recipes.  It's awesome 

[Pequod]

6 minutes ago, bosco said:

I use the paprika app on my iPhone for all of my recipes.  It's awesome 

Same here. I love Paprika. 

[MadMedik]

I also created a 2 page cook preparation guide:  everything I cook is listed, with absolute essentials needed for cook...not all my notes.

I list:

Item Cooked

Temperature of Grill

Done Temp: IT

Grill level used

Deflector or Not

Smoke type used /preferred

Estimated Cook time

I put this in Evernote...which is a  note tracker/folder system online and accessible to any computer

 

If I want to read notes,. I go to binder 

Edited September 3, 2016 by MadMedik

[Steve M]

Those are great suggestions. I started a spiral bound notebook when I got my kk just because I wanted a record of approximate vent settings that I could reference later. I also recorded most everything you mentioned and also weather conditions. Then I purchased Bosco's cyber q and I think it records just about all of those for later viewing. I am a gadget freak by nature so it works for me. I still need something for the higher temp cooks so I will probably continue to use the notebook for those.

[Aussie Ora]

It's a great idea

Outback Kamado Bar and Grill

[ckreef]

I don't do that for cook notes but........... 

I did steal one of my son's composition books. When I'm formulating a new recipe I write it down in there. As I tweak a recipe over time I scribble my tweaks in there. If it eventually turns into a really good recipe I transcribe it into my personal cook book. I don't put a lot of recipes in my personal cook book. Sometimes they sit a long time in the composition book and sometimes they never leave the composition book. 

[MacKenzie]

Yes, I have a couple of big binders.  It's a must for me. I can't remember everything. 

Actually I keep a copy on the PC and make prints which I keep in clear plastic sleeves in a binder. This keeps things nice and clean.  Any changes I write on the paper copy and correct PC stored version too.

[Rak]

Great post, I really should start keeping a binder...I'm more likely to write it down old school (pen and paper) than use an app.

[Laurie]

One of the side benefits of the log is that it can become a memory book - we not only have the notes about the paella we made for Eric (or brisket with the neighbors, or or or), we remember sitting around the table, Eric trying the sky chair, the good times of the evening.

Edited September 5, 2016 by Laurie

[billg71]

I use an Excel workbook with worksheets for each cook. The original came from the Amazing Ribs site(free download), I modified it a little but it's essentially the downloaded version.

I like it because it encourages me record the same info for every cook. I guess if I wanted to keep a notebook I could just print out blank pages and scribble on them but for me it's easier to just keep it in the 'puter.

I just went over to the site and tried several searches and couldn't find it again so I attached it. Enjoy!

Best,

Bill

meatheads_cooking_log.xls

[Syzygies]

I keep a "food" folder that syncs with all my computers. Spreadsheets where appropriate, for salting meats or tweaking sourdough bread recipes. I either scan pages from physical cookbooks or screen grab pages from Kindle books, and I always cook from a printout taped to a cupboard door when following a recipe. I mark it up as I go, and I usually then scan it to save with other text file notes which I consult before the next similar cook.

One advantage to this is that my physical cookbooks are in one home or the other, and with a scan I'm able to make favorite recipes again on the other coast.